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Write me off at your peril: Bika
October 4, 2006
[IMG]http://www.*********.com/1photos/zwickau12.jpg[/IMG]
The bookies may have effectively written him off, but Australia's Sakio Bika has warned British boxing fans to expect a shock when he challenges dual world super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe in Manchester later this month.
Sydney based Bika flew out to Britain Wednesday afternoon, delighted with his preparation for the fight on October 15 (AEST).
While he has lost just one of 23 professional bouts, 27-year-old Bika is considered a long odds ******** to dethrone the sport's longest reigning world champion.
Two Australian based betting websites had Calzaghe at $1.05 for a win and Bika at $8.00 while British odds makers quoted an even wider gap.
Bika, who was born in Cameroon, but last week gained Australian citizenship, was comfortable with the mantle of underdog.
Calzaghe's camp has already talked up the prospect of a mega-fight next year and a possibility of a bout against IBF light heavyweight champion and fellow Briton Clinton Woods.
Bika felt such talk was disrespectful and the Europeans knew little about him because his last bout against WBC super middleweight champion Markus Beyer lasted only four rounds and was declared a draw after the German suffered a facial injury.
"It (the underdog tag) is very good for me because in Europe they've got some people who are saying `who's Sakio Bika'?"
"Maybe the Calzaghe camp thinks it will be an easy fight. In Europe, they know me after my last fight against Beyer, but they don't know me really well, because the fight didn't go long enough.
"When they chose me, maybe they thought it would be an easy fight but they don't know me very well and they don't know the way I can punch.
"The people in England who come and support Calzaghe are going to get a shock."
Bika completed his sparring for the fight by trading blows with Australian cruiserweight champion Daniel Amman for six rounds on Wednesday.
His preparations for the fight at the Manchester Evening News Arena also included sparring with another southpaw, Australian super middleweight Jamie Pittman and Paul Briggs, who challenges Poland's Tomasz Adamek for the WBC light heavyweight title in Chicago this weekend.
Calzaghe, 34, has won all 41 of his professional fights, 31 by KO and has made 18 defences of the WBO title he won nine years ago.
The Welsh southpaw added the IBF title in his last fight, also in Manchester, when he outpointed previously unbeaten American Jeff Lacy over 12 one-sided rounds.
"Calzaghe mixes patience with aggression and he's got tremendous confidence," Bika's trainer Mark Pitts said.
October 4, 2006
[IMG]http://www.*********.com/1photos/zwickau12.jpg[/IMG]
The bookies may have effectively written him off, but Australia's Sakio Bika has warned British boxing fans to expect a shock when he challenges dual world super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe in Manchester later this month.
Sydney based Bika flew out to Britain Wednesday afternoon, delighted with his preparation for the fight on October 15 (AEST).
While he has lost just one of 23 professional bouts, 27-year-old Bika is considered a long odds ******** to dethrone the sport's longest reigning world champion.
Two Australian based betting websites had Calzaghe at $1.05 for a win and Bika at $8.00 while British odds makers quoted an even wider gap.
Bika, who was born in Cameroon, but last week gained Australian citizenship, was comfortable with the mantle of underdog.
Calzaghe's camp has already talked up the prospect of a mega-fight next year and a possibility of a bout against IBF light heavyweight champion and fellow Briton Clinton Woods.
Bika felt such talk was disrespectful and the Europeans knew little about him because his last bout against WBC super middleweight champion Markus Beyer lasted only four rounds and was declared a draw after the German suffered a facial injury.
"It (the underdog tag) is very good for me because in Europe they've got some people who are saying `who's Sakio Bika'?"
"Maybe the Calzaghe camp thinks it will be an easy fight. In Europe, they know me after my last fight against Beyer, but they don't know me really well, because the fight didn't go long enough.
"When they chose me, maybe they thought it would be an easy fight but they don't know me very well and they don't know the way I can punch.
"The people in England who come and support Calzaghe are going to get a shock."
Bika completed his sparring for the fight by trading blows with Australian cruiserweight champion Daniel Amman for six rounds on Wednesday.
His preparations for the fight at the Manchester Evening News Arena also included sparring with another southpaw, Australian super middleweight Jamie Pittman and Paul Briggs, who challenges Poland's Tomasz Adamek for the WBC light heavyweight title in Chicago this weekend.
Calzaghe, 34, has won all 41 of his professional fights, 31 by KO and has made 18 defences of the WBO title he won nine years ago.
The Welsh southpaw added the IBF title in his last fight, also in Manchester, when he outpointed previously unbeaten American Jeff Lacy over 12 one-sided rounds.
"Calzaghe mixes patience with aggression and he's got tremendous confidence," Bika's trainer Mark Pitts said.
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